Refrigerating apparatus



(No Model.)

G. G. GBRLAGH..

I RBFRIGERATING APPARATUS. A l bla-507,729. Patented Oct. 31, 1893.

J'qif NITED y STATES vPATENT OFFICE.

CARL C. GERLACH, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

REFRIGERATING PPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 507,729, dated October31,1893. Application filed December 14,] 892. Serial No. 455,150. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL C. GERLACH, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Refrigerating Apparatus,of which I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichitappertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in absorption refrigeratingapparatus, and its object is to produce an automatic circulation fromthe retort through the condenser and expansion coils to the' absorberand thence with an alternating current to the retort and back to theabsorber, without the aid of an intermediate ammonia pump.

My invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts andconstruction of details as shown in the accompanying drawings describedherein,v and more specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical elevation in section of myapparatus showing the general arrangement and relative positions of thevarious parts. Fig. 2 is a detail of duplex valve in transverse sectionthrough the ports. Fig. 3 shows a side view of valve or cock.

In the figures 1 is the still or retort filled with aqua ammoniaof abouttwenty-six per cent. strong. Underneath is a heater (as a lamp or steamcoil or furnace) for the retort.

3 is a condensing coilsurrounded with water circulating through pipes 4and 5.

6 is the receiver connecting with the expansion coils 7 and separated byvalve 8. y

9 is the absorbing tank through which the water circulation pipe 5passes. This tank is located at a higher level than the retort and isprovided with the duplex valve 10 provided with the passages A and Bconnecting with the inlet and outlet openings 15 and 16. The float 11operates this valve and rests upon the liquid in this chamber. It ismounted upon the spindle 12 within the fork 13 of the valve lever 14,and has limited play vertically therein. Nuts 18 may be employed toregulate the movement of the ball and a bolt 17 is employed to regulatethe fall of the lever.

20 is a cooling chamber between the absorber and retort.

21 is a valve opening the connection to the chamber 9 with the retort 1.l

The operation of this device is as follows:

The contents of the retort are heated until the ammonia gas is liberatedand passes into the condenser 3, and thence is collected in the chamber6 in the form of pure ammonia liquid whence it passes through the valve8 into the expansion coils 7, which may be placed wherever required. Inthese-coils it again becomes gas and thence it passes into the absorber9 partially filled with weak liquid, derived from the retort andpreviously driven thence by the pressure of the ammonia gas liberatedtherefrom. The gasfrom the expansion coils is immediately absorbed bythe'liquid in the chamber 9, the position of the iioat and valveadmitting it freely as shown in Fig. 1,'but as the gas is absorbed, theiioat. will rise on its spindle and as soon as the liquid has risen tothe determined height the ball will strike the forked lever and closethe upper inlet for gas 16, but will open the outlet 15 toward theretort. The pressure being equalized by closing `the passage 16,the'strong liquor in the absorber will at once fall by gravity into theretort thus renewingmhe supply, since the absorber is at a higherlevelthan the retort. All the liquid however in the absorber will not bedischarged, but enough will remain to absorb the gasentering. It will beseen that the valve 10 will close the lower opening 15 as it fallsail/drragain open the upper opening 16. By means of nuts 18, 18 on thespindle 12 the valve can be caused to open or close at any height ofliquid required.

In starting the device the valve 8 is closed until considerable pressureaccumulates in the retort, when the valve 21 is opened until thepressure admits a sufficient quantity of liquid to the absorber. Afterthis the valve 21 remains closed and the valve 8 open.

It will be seen that I accomplish my object by means of gravity and thenatu ral pressure of thegas.

I believe myself to be the tirst to introduce automatic mechanism toregulate thecirculation in an absorbent refrigerator apparatus withoutexternal aid of pumps or injectors.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby Letters Patent', is-

IOO

l. In an absorbent refrigerating apparatus, the combination of a retort,a condenser, a receiver, expansion coils and an absorbing chamber, pipesconnecting the several parts in a continuous circuit and a float and twoway valve in the absorbing chamber, connecting alternately the inlet andoutlet openings in the circulation pipes and absorbing chamber as andfor the purpose set forth.

2. In an absorbent ammonia refrigerating apparatus, the combination of aretort, a condenser, a receiver, expansion coils and absorbent chamber,in combination with circulation pipes connecting the several parts, andiioat and two Way Valve in the absorbing chamber I5 connecting with saidpipes, whereby the pressure in the retort and absorbing chamber may beequalized and the circulation of gas and liquid regulated automatically,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand this 1st day bf December,1892.

CARL C. GERLACH.

Witnesses:

WM. M. MONROE, WM. L. LEAGH.

